Eox Acetro and the Grand Pearl Heist
by The Tusken Gentleman
Summary: When a grand treasure is discovered in the depths of Mos Eisely's caverns, Eox Acetro and his crew must face off against several foes to acquire the riches! Who will come out on top? Can friendship stand the test of greed? Development Hiatus!


A human walked the harsh desert landscape, pacing his steps out of town. His blue eyes wandered out into the vast plains.

_Not a hunter in sight…maybe I can get a decent harvest today. _

This was not an unconventional occasion for the man, who had tanned skin from the years of scouring the barren territories.

He set his bag down and removed his weapon, a rifle. He hoisted his brown-skinned weapon on his shoulder, wiping his forehead clear of sweat. He then proceeded further away from town, past the rugged ridges that encompassed the bustling settlement. The man knew he had timed himself correctly.

He carefully looked towards the horizon. Two circles radiated in the skies, encompassed by a fiery-orange aura. The sand itself was laced with dung, probably from a Sketto beetle around this time of the day. He was, after all, nearing the caverns on the outskirts of town. There were insects buzzing all around him, treasuring the dung and shards of littered leftovers that embraced the cold desert ground. The insects themselves hungered for human blood around these hours, and he could feel the creatures crawling on his neck. It did not bother the man, who had grown rugged and toned from many years of navigating backwater landscapes for a living.

_It looks like the two suns are stumbling behind those ridges. I had better pick up the pace. Damn pesky guys at camp...couldn't wait till tomorrow to set up a cavern stakeout. I guess they really want to get to it before_-Abruptly, the man was interrupted by his own instincts. He fell to a kneeling position behind one of the boulders that trailed the path, his clothing sinking into the small dunes. Before him stood (oblivious of the man's position 20 meters away) a reptilian creature with a fin that ran across its forehead down to its upper spine. The creature was a yellowish-green color and it had menacing eyes accompanied by teeth sharp enough to cut through a Bantha.

_A Scyk? What the hell is a Scyk doing out on the ridge? At this time of the day too. _The man had to watch his step. Perhaps he could get by the heinous creature. Scyk were creatures infamous for being of the exact same genus as Dragonets and Rills. However, unlike its genetic counterparts, a Scyk is vicious towards anything that stands in its path. Even a human. Maybe the human could have escaped, but taking a closer inspection, he concluded that the harvest on his Scyk would be good for his fortune.

He could not resist his hunter urge, and so he silently hoisted his rifle in his hand and filed slow movements towards the reptile. As the man got closer, he tightened his grip. Sweat peeled off from his skin as he found a spot 10 meters away from the Scyk in open space. He had to get a clear shot free of the rocks. He had only one shot. If he missed, or failed to stun the Scyk, it would cost him dearly. Scyk could spit poison if provoked or alarmed, which could effortlessly dissolve through his clothing-and human flesh.

The man steadied his palms, now with a clear view of the vicious creature. After timing his trigger grip, the man pulled the trigger and a fast yet deadly projectile slogged the creature. Only the shot did not go where the man had presumed, and the Scyk, clearly in pain but mobile, turned around to face its challenge. Instead of shooting poison as expected, the wounded Scyk assaulted the staggered man. The creature's fins impacted on the man's face, now taken aback by astonishment and pain.

The creature lunged at the man's vulnerable neck flesh, but the man would not give up a struggle so easily. He had seen worse. The man punched the Scyk in the nose, avoiding the sharp teeth that could have easily ripped his skin. The hunter then extracted a sharp weapon from a strap on his leg. Immediately, he grabbed the Scyk's neck with one hand and plunged his dagger into the creature's neck. The scaly creature shrieked in agony as blood oozed out from its neck. He took a step back, watching the creature cry in anguish, there was now a puddle of red liquid beneath the near-dead creature. But the man, having seen such displays before, knew his work was not over. He swiftly pulled out a rusty DH-18 pistol and aimed the gun at the creature, firing two shots at the dying reptilians' forehead. _Those ought a shut that yap up. Maybe this skin will fetch me a good couple-hundred credits. _

He then took hold of the creature's jaw, and in an abrupt motion, he snapped the jaw by pulling from both ends. The creature, jaws now dangling, was covered in its own blood. The man wiped his chin where the blow of the fin had hit him. It felt moist and torn. It wasn't sweat. He was bleeding, but his chin had gone numb, so it wasn't his first priority.

As the man went down to harvest the skin, a sudden sharp pain made him fall over. Before he could react, he was at gunpoint. He turned around, only to find a humanoid woman in a red dress with sleeves holding a DH-17 blaster rifle to his head.

"You're coming with us, scum." She smiled, gesturing at a blue insect-like creature laughing behind her.

"Shak, tm kras ka noota[All right, then give me the money]." The humanoid like insect said, twitching its antennas.

"Lady Valarian will give you the payment _after _we bring this scum." She then took out electro cuffs and wrapped them around the man's hands. By this time, the man was starting to feel light headed and dazed. As the pounding of his head seemed more and more distant, so did his grip on reality. In a blur, his world turned black. The man had fallen unconscious, with his fate uncertain.

* * *

**Author's Note [5/17/2012]: **

**Many of my older fans have probably seen this story up before, but it never gathered popularity. I'm hoping this time I can gather some fans for this mini-series. Notice how the story is very short for my style (1,000 words or so). This is because this story was meant to be a side story to feed my fans while they waited for my 4,000-word chapters of Pokemon Radiance (or in this case, Cloak and Dagger to some extent). I hope you enjoy this little piece of work while I work on chapter 5 of Cloak and Dagger. **


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